Final answer:
No, the three documents do not portray the same story of the Boston Massacre due to differing perspectives and the use of the event as propaganda by the Sons of Liberty. The use of emotive and biased narratives was a strategy to influence public opinion against British rule.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the variety of accounts of the Boston Massacre, it becomes clear that no, they do not portray the same story. This is primarily due to differing perspectives, biases, and the desire by groups like the Sons of Liberty to use events such as the Boston Massacre as propaganda to further their cause against the British control. For example, the depiction shared by the Sons of Liberty emphasizes British soldiers firing on unarmed civilians, which significantly influenced public sentiment leading up to the American Revolution. Accounts of events like those at Lexington Common on April 19, 1775, show variance in perspectives, highlighting the subjective nature of historical narratives.
The Boston Gazette's account of the incident paints the British soldiers as aggressive and eager to inflict harm, which suggests a deliberate attempt to portray them negatively to rouse colonial anger. While analyzing different narratives, it's important to consider these biases and the emotive language used at the time to stir public sentiments. The Gaspée affair further complicated the relationship between the colonies and Britain, with colonists seeing the British response as an overreach, thus contributing to the growing discontent that would culminate in the American Revolution.